Flat battery Monday ITV news.

[SUNRAY]

May be unusual as with three cars, and no where we need to go at the moment even when they are used, they do not travel far, but 9 hours at 0.8 amp is not much power, that is how long it took for the charge rate to drop, so 8 Ah for a 90 Ah battery is nothing.

Most the cars will reduce to 0.1 amp and the voltage still raises, odd one out is Kia Sorento which cycles 0.8 to 0.1 amp, but I have a spare battery and to date not failed to start. We had this year need to travel for medical so cars have been still used, but that is now over, so one car is used per two weeks, 50 mile round trip, so 6 weeks between each use of each car, so yes I do charge the batteries from time to time to ensure topped up.

I don't think the police would accept as a valid reason for a trip, I want to keep battery topped up. But reading what it says on web pages, it seems the AGM battery can be left longer than flooded batteries between charges. The vehicle must use some power, or it would not respond to smart phone commands, or unlock doors, but think that must be very little power.

But yes had to swap battery on Jazz, but for a year I have known it was on it's way out, needed charging every 3 weeks. But there is a lot of luck, if the car is parked up with fully charged battery then likely it would start even 3 months latter, but if the battery was not fully charged but only 80% charged to start with, then 3 months may well be OTT.

So some people have been self isolating since March 2020, and even when they have gone out, the battery has never had chance to fully recharge, and when the Smart charger takes days to recharge what chance is there that it will fully recharge in the car on a trip using less than a tank full of fuel? As said took 9 hours to drop charge rate to 2 watts (0.1 amp) time matters, so a trip to see the snow is not going to be enough to recharge battery, but may be enough to get fined.

But the charge current from the alternator is more likely to start at tens of amperes even on a 'fully charged' battery.

 

[EddieM]

can even start engine from phone to warm up car before getting in.

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that was illegal in the UK.

 

[flameport]

I’m guessing that the possible concern with stop/start cars might be early failure of starter motors.

and the early failure of most of the other engine components.

 

[davelx]

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that was illegal in the UK.

Only I if you're on the public highway. OK on private property I think.

 

[EddieM]

Only I if you're on the public highway. OK on private property I think.

Not sure that's right, happy to stand corrected, but I seem to recall people being prosecuted for starting their cars on their driveways and leaving them to warm up / de ice.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Not sure that's right, happy to stand corrected, but I seem to recall people being prosecuted for starting their cars on their driveways and leaving them to warm up / de ice.

Mine has the 'dressing gown' option. You can start it, then remote lock it to run and warm up whilst you get dressed.

 

[EFLImpudence]

(Don't know whether or not it is, but) being illegal does not stop a thing working.

 

[EddieM]

(Don't know whether or not it is, but) being illegal does not stop a thing working.

No but it stops it being an option in a country.

 

[EddieM]

Well from the owner manual (Jag XE)

• The Remote Climate screen allows the engine to be started remotely (for vehicles with an automatic transmission), and run, for up to 30 minutes, to provide a comfortable temperature inside the cabin in advance of the driver entering the vehicle.
  

Remote climate will not function if any of the following conditions exist:

• The vehicle's fuel level is low.
  
  
• The vehicle's battery charge level is low.
  
  
• The vehicle is not locked.
  
  
• A window, door, bonnet, or the luggage compartment is open.
  
  
• The engine has been manually started.
  
  
• A system error with any required vehicle system.
  
  
• A theft has been detected.
  
  
• The vehicle's alarm is sounding.
  
  
• A crash event has been detected.
  
  
• The hazard warning lamps are switched on.
  
  
• The automatic transmission is not in Park (P).
  
  
• The brake pedal is pressed.
  

NOTES
Some markets may prohibit the use of a remote engine start. It remains the responsibility of the driver to know if this function can legally be used

 

[EFLImpudence]

Isn't it illegal to leave the car with the engine running?

 

[EddieM]

Isn't it illegal to leave the car with the engine running?

Yes as you're classed as not being in charge of it, which is an offence.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Isn't it illegal to leave the car with the engine running?

I always thought so too, but consider modern stop/start buses. The driver can get off for a fag and if the bus decides its battery is running a bit low, the engine can start up with no one in the driver's seat. It happens regularly when our local bus arrives at the terminus, which is on a city street and I get on the bus to wait for its departure.

 

[davelx]

Not sure that's right, happy to stand corrected, but I seem to recall people being prosecuted for starting their cars on their driveways and leaving them to warm up / de ice.

Lots of instances online covering this - the law refers to the public highway, not private property. Here is one of many:

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news...ing-your-car-unattended-engine-running-139058

 

[AndyPRK]

Harry. The modern ctek doesn’t need switching on.

Also you can just switch them on and leave them.

Even gives you a few more 100mV’s when it’s under 5Deg C

 

[SUNRAY]

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that was illegal in the UK.

I believed so too, there was a special dispensation license during the Irish problems of yesteryear but I'm not aware of it becoming a general thing.